NetVegas was full of very bright buildings and flashing neon lights, which all added together to provide an amazing contrast to the darkness of the space between establishments. These alleys were home to unoperated navis, those looking for privacy, and criminals fleeing the law. Shisho would have to take a guess as to which group his new employers belonged to.
In one such back alley lurked three figures, all wearing heavy cloaks that obscured their appearances and made them look terribly shady. One had a female silhouette, another seemed like a man, and the third seemed like an especially large man. The middle of the three spoke up, speaking in the refined voice of an elderly gentleman. He spoke quietly, though, which made him seem even more suspicious. Only a few lines were audible. "We'll raid the place... take everything from under their noses... others won't know what hit them... first we strike key locations with the least resistance..."
The three sat on the panels of the net, huddled around a large map with many locations marked. Notes were written in the margins in an overly flowery curve text.
Yet Another Shady Back Alley
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A flash of light later, a petite Shisho materialised into NetVegas Net. Compared to all other networks, however, Shisho was the most comfortable in this one; being his home network of his Operator's family business, the Merck Entertainment Industries (MEI). Not once was the greenhorn-in-battle Navigator irked out by the potential dangers of such a varied network (or the dark alleys, for that matter); he just purposefully floated on, towards the agreed meeting point of his client.
His Operator also showed similar reaction to the idea of NetVegas, having visited her father many times in the past ("social visits", as her father would put it). Putting on her best demeanor in hopes of meeting her father, she sat quietly while watching Shisho navigate himself to the very alley where the three cloaked figures were waiting. ... Or were discussing some very important matters.
Shisho eyed the map, then listened to the conversation, but said nothing as he stood (floated) at the entrance of the alley, knowing fully well that the moment he stepped into it, he would let the whole wide world know that he just entered into one. Especially with his luminous fins. He looked around instead; seemingly genuine in searching for his correspondents. If anything, it was best that those suspicious people were not his correspondents... but judging from the description of the mission, he doubted that very much.
Regardless, Shisho continued his search as he turned all over, hands over his eyes as he looked out for anyone else that may be in waiting.
His Operator also showed similar reaction to the idea of NetVegas, having visited her father many times in the past ("social visits", as her father would put it). Putting on her best demeanor in hopes of meeting her father, she sat quietly while watching Shisho navigate himself to the very alley where the three cloaked figures were waiting. ... Or were discussing some very important matters.
Shisho eyed the map, then listened to the conversation, but said nothing as he stood (floated) at the entrance of the alley, knowing fully well that the moment he stepped into it, he would let the whole wide world know that he just entered into one. Especially with his luminous fins. He looked around instead; seemingly genuine in searching for his correspondents. If anything, it was best that those suspicious people were not his correspondents... but judging from the description of the mission, he doubted that very much.
Regardless, Shisho continued his search as he turned all over, hands over his eyes as he looked out for anyone else that may be in waiting.
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Regardless of any attempts Shisho made at disassociating himself with the suspicious looking character coniving in the back alley, they seemed determined to reel him in. "You could only bein this place for one reason, my boy; are here to answer the job posting by one Sir Neville Twist, are you not? That man is my operator! I apologize that we provided you with no further details than we did, but the GNA refuses to deal with me due to... well, I can't imagine the reason," the old man spoke. He pulled the cloak slowly back from his head as he approached Shisho, revealing a thin, elderly face, deeply lined and tight-jawed. A long, curled moustache hid his upper lip from view entirely. His hair was thin and white, curling at a high point on his forehead; he quickly covered it by plopping an open book on top as if it were a hat. Taking longer than was reasonable or polite, he inset a monocle at the cusp of his right cheek and brow. "There we are! My name is ChronicleMan. I don't believe you have any need to recognize the name, however."
The other two sat up; he signalled them to come over with an impatient pulling gesture. "These two navis are my cohorts: Raptor and TribalMan. Say hello to Master Shisho, if you'd be so kind!"
"Hey there, Master," Raptor spoke first, hissing in a mocking voice. She pulled back her hood, revealing blond hair and feral looking yellow eyes with slit pupils. Her teeth were long and fanged (she seemed to have trouble closing her mouth all the way); her mouth was wide and her tongue was long, making every feature seem slightly oversized. "We're not this jackass's friends. He just owes us a crapton of cash at this point." Shisho could hear the sound of a leathery tail wacking the pavement as she snarled.
"Ever one to dwell on the inconsequential! That's my little walnut brain," he chuckled, making a challenging and belittling smile that only increased the growling. "TribalMan is not much of a speaker..."
The other navi dropped his hood with one large, tanned hand, revealing the most rectangular human head that Shisho could have possibly ever seen. He regarded Shisho with squinting eyes and a deep frown, but said nothing. His brown hair was pulled into a short tail behind his head and far away from his forehead. Many lines of tattoos fan across his cheeks and nose, as well as across his brow. The lines of his neck showed that everything giving shape to his cloak was likely muscle.
"I will brief you quickly, my friend," ChronicleMan started, crossing his arms behind his back. He'd look almost amiable if he wasn't wearing a book on his head and hadn't just acted like a douchebag. "Certain challenges in the past, financial straits, drove us to activities that the GNA frowned upon. As such, we've been blacklisted when it comes to making requests of them... this makes it hard for navis like us to make a living! It is a filthy and exclusive practice that serves as an utmost example of wasteful and closed-minded bureaucracy!" he rambled, his jaw shaking with indignation. "But I digress, this means that we must look to sources such as job fairs to find income."
"You could also just bust..." Raptor snarled.
"Brutish exercise like that?! A waste of my talents!" the self-appointed leader scoffed. "Now then, job fairs like these don't come around too often; we don't want to waste this opportunity. That is why you have been recruited to make certain that we aren't eeeh... turned away at the door. You will be our agent! You like that title, don't you?" he chuckled, giving a big, fake smile as though he thought himself world's greatest granddad.
At this point, if Shisho or his operator had any knowledge of the working world, they would realize the difficulty of the task presented them: they had to employ an elderly and bigoted con-man, a dumb dinosaur, and a completely silent, tattooed man, all likely with criminal records.
"Well, do you think you're ready to go over the finer details? Or do you have any questions before we start?" he asked, clasping his hands together and smiling with the dimunitive air of an elder speaking to a child.
The other two sat up; he signalled them to come over with an impatient pulling gesture. "These two navis are my cohorts: Raptor and TribalMan. Say hello to Master Shisho, if you'd be so kind!"
"Hey there, Master," Raptor spoke first, hissing in a mocking voice. She pulled back her hood, revealing blond hair and feral looking yellow eyes with slit pupils. Her teeth were long and fanged (she seemed to have trouble closing her mouth all the way); her mouth was wide and her tongue was long, making every feature seem slightly oversized. "We're not this jackass's friends. He just owes us a crapton of cash at this point." Shisho could hear the sound of a leathery tail wacking the pavement as she snarled.
"Ever one to dwell on the inconsequential! That's my little walnut brain," he chuckled, making a challenging and belittling smile that only increased the growling. "TribalMan is not much of a speaker..."
The other navi dropped his hood with one large, tanned hand, revealing the most rectangular human head that Shisho could have possibly ever seen. He regarded Shisho with squinting eyes and a deep frown, but said nothing. His brown hair was pulled into a short tail behind his head and far away from his forehead. Many lines of tattoos fan across his cheeks and nose, as well as across his brow. The lines of his neck showed that everything giving shape to his cloak was likely muscle.
"I will brief you quickly, my friend," ChronicleMan started, crossing his arms behind his back. He'd look almost amiable if he wasn't wearing a book on his head and hadn't just acted like a douchebag. "Certain challenges in the past, financial straits, drove us to activities that the GNA frowned upon. As such, we've been blacklisted when it comes to making requests of them... this makes it hard for navis like us to make a living! It is a filthy and exclusive practice that serves as an utmost example of wasteful and closed-minded bureaucracy!" he rambled, his jaw shaking with indignation. "But I digress, this means that we must look to sources such as job fairs to find income."
"You could also just bust..." Raptor snarled.
"Brutish exercise like that?! A waste of my talents!" the self-appointed leader scoffed. "Now then, job fairs like these don't come around too often; we don't want to waste this opportunity. That is why you have been recruited to make certain that we aren't eeeh... turned away at the door. You will be our agent! You like that title, don't you?" he chuckled, giving a big, fake smile as though he thought himself world's greatest granddad.
At this point, if Shisho or his operator had any knowledge of the working world, they would realize the difficulty of the task presented them: they had to employ an elderly and bigoted con-man, a dumb dinosaur, and a completely silent, tattooed man, all likely with criminal records.
"Well, do you think you're ready to go over the finer details? Or do you have any questions before we start?" he asked, clasping his hands together and smiling with the dimunitive air of an elder speaking to a child.
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Shisho nodded as they spoke of the client's name, mentally wincing as he imagined what sort of dirty business made them unable to participate in a career fair in their own volition and credibility. Regardless, it was not his business to ask. Taking a (floating) step into the alleyway, Shisho's luminous glow lit up the darkness, providing a greenish sheen of illumination to himself and his three guests.
The scribe Navi nodded at ChronicleMan as he introduced himself. Why, look at that, Shisho mused, a Navigator based off of... oh, I don't know, record taking. Gee, I wonder where I heard that from. Shisho politely nodded, agreeing with the man; despite their similarities, his name rang no bells to Shisho.
He was, however, slightly taken aback by Raptor, especially her beastial outlook. Possibly clouded by his own prejudice and perception, but Shisho suspected that the combination of Raptor's scary outlook and witty demeanour might be the main reason why she was unemployed... and still stuck with ChronicleMan. ... Wouldn't the first thing to do was to stop tagging along with the debtor if they were already owing you money in the first place, though?
Finally, Shisho, despite gaining a foot with his floating ability, had to look up towards TribalMan's face. A quick look downwards and something told Shisho that he could easily be crushed by the big Navigator's one arm if strength was measured as per the real world equivalent in the Net World.
... As uncanny and suspicious the trio may be, Shisho straightened and took up the challenge. With a respectful bow to his three clients, the scribe Navi listened attentively to what ChronicleMan had to brief.
What he was informed of, of course, was not to his surprise at all. Three GNA-blacklisted Navigators, looking for work. Fair enough.
"I agree with the busting, ChronicleMan," Shisho started, shrugging. "I, myself, prefer not to bust when presented with the choice." Going into business, though, Shisho gave a smile at ChronicleMan as the Q&A session came. "I'll do what I can to help, of course. Do tell me more... But first thing's first," the floating Navigator tilted his head, feigning ignorance. "What were you guys discussing before you hollered me in?"
The scribe Navi nodded at ChronicleMan as he introduced himself. Why, look at that, Shisho mused, a Navigator based off of... oh, I don't know, record taking. Gee, I wonder where I heard that from. Shisho politely nodded, agreeing with the man; despite their similarities, his name rang no bells to Shisho.
He was, however, slightly taken aback by Raptor, especially her beastial outlook. Possibly clouded by his own prejudice and perception, but Shisho suspected that the combination of Raptor's scary outlook and witty demeanour might be the main reason why she was unemployed... and still stuck with ChronicleMan. ... Wouldn't the first thing to do was to stop tagging along with the debtor if they were already owing you money in the first place, though?
Finally, Shisho, despite gaining a foot with his floating ability, had to look up towards TribalMan's face. A quick look downwards and something told Shisho that he could easily be crushed by the big Navigator's one arm if strength was measured as per the real world equivalent in the Net World.
... As uncanny and suspicious the trio may be, Shisho straightened and took up the challenge. With a respectful bow to his three clients, the scribe Navi listened attentively to what ChronicleMan had to brief.
What he was informed of, of course, was not to his surprise at all. Three GNA-blacklisted Navigators, looking for work. Fair enough.
"I agree with the busting, ChronicleMan," Shisho started, shrugging. "I, myself, prefer not to bust when presented with the choice." Going into business, though, Shisho gave a smile at ChronicleMan as the Q&A session came. "I'll do what I can to help, of course. Do tell me more... But first thing's first," the floating Navigator tilted his head, feigning ignorance. "What were you guys discussing before you hollered me in?"
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"Splendid, my boy! Oh, and you picked up on that, did you?" the old man responded, crossing one arm behind the cusp of his slightly hunched back. He ran two gloves fingers along his moustache and smiled. "That was a pep talk! Our taking of this career fair will be nothing less than total war. A blitzkreig!'
"He'd be talking to the walls if we weren't around. What I wouldn't give for some peace and quiet..." Raptor hissed.
"And what I would not do for an intellectual equal! But alas, as we have all seen, the world is not so kind to me," ChronicleMan sighed. "Now, before we start out, let's talk about our attire. Each of us have procured a .GMO to use. While I am always stately dressed, my associates are mercenaries by trade... therefore they are smelly, grotesque, and scantily clad," he continued. To demonstrate his point, he removed his own cloak, the those of his allies with hurried tugs.
ChronicleMan's costume consisted of a mantle designed to look like a book cover, including a diary clasp. Beneath that he seemed to wear the standard affair of blue skinsuit ans darker blue gloves. Raptor was dressed in green armor made of scales, leaving her thighs, upper arms, and middrift exposed. TribalMan was the least dressed, wearing only tan colored skinsuut pants with blue tattoo designs running across them. The rest of his body was also heavily tattooed and hugely muscled. His feet were bare.
"I'm not taking fashion criticism from a guy who wears a book on his head!" Raptor complained, thrashing her newly revealed scaly tail against the floor.
"Well, point being, they need professional dress! They'll reject anything I tell them to do, though... Jealous of my intellect and pinache, I imagine. So I would like your advice: how should we dress to go to a career fair, to best optimize our chances of success?" he finished, crossing both hands behind his back and doing his best to look patient.
"He'd be talking to the walls if we weren't around. What I wouldn't give for some peace and quiet..." Raptor hissed.
"And what I would not do for an intellectual equal! But alas, as we have all seen, the world is not so kind to me," ChronicleMan sighed. "Now, before we start out, let's talk about our attire. Each of us have procured a .GMO to use. While I am always stately dressed, my associates are mercenaries by trade... therefore they are smelly, grotesque, and scantily clad," he continued. To demonstrate his point, he removed his own cloak, the those of his allies with hurried tugs.
ChronicleMan's costume consisted of a mantle designed to look like a book cover, including a diary clasp. Beneath that he seemed to wear the standard affair of blue skinsuit ans darker blue gloves. Raptor was dressed in green armor made of scales, leaving her thighs, upper arms, and middrift exposed. TribalMan was the least dressed, wearing only tan colored skinsuut pants with blue tattoo designs running across them. The rest of his body was also heavily tattooed and hugely muscled. His feet were bare.
"I'm not taking fashion criticism from a guy who wears a book on his head!" Raptor complained, thrashing her newly revealed scaly tail against the floor.
"Well, point being, they need professional dress! They'll reject anything I tell them to do, though... Jealous of my intellect and pinache, I imagine. So I would like your advice: how should we dress to go to a career fair, to best optimize our chances of success?" he finished, crossing both hands behind his back and doing his best to look patient.